Bread-cutter.



..PATENTED JAN. 20, 1903.

A; ANDERSON.

BREAD CUTTER.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 10, 1902.

N0 MOD "L.

4 will/1111111911236 4 i 1 w. J w M 1 4 6 e a 6 w m UNlTED STATES PATENTOFFICE.

ARWID ANDERSON, OF CAMBRIDGE, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO FREDRIKPETERSON, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

BREAD-CUTTER.

SPECIFICATION formingpart of Letters Patent No. 718,944, dated January20, 1903.

Application filed May 10, 1902.

T0 ctZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, ARWID ANDERSON, of Cambridge, county ofMiddlesex,and State of Massachusetts, have invented an Improvement inBread-Cutters, of which the following description, in connection withthe accompanying drawings, is a specification, like characters on thedrawings representing like parts.

This invention relates to a machine for cutting bread or other food intoslices of equal thickness by means ofa rotating knife, in connectionwith means for automatically feeding the material to be cut a measureddistance upon each rotation of the knife.

For an understanding of my invention ref erence is made totheaccompanyingdrawings, in which- Figure 1 is a side elevation of mymachine. Figs. 2 and 3 are elevations of opposite ends thereof. Figs. 4and 5 are enlarged crosssectional views of a portion of the feedingmechanism in different positions.

As shown in the drawings, two end frames 1 and 2 are provided, which areconnected by two pairs of parallel rods 3 and 4. A shaft 5 is journaledin bearings 6 and 7 in the upper ends of the frames 1 and 2,respectively, and the ends of said shaft extend beyond said frames. Aknife 8 is secured to one end of the shaft 5, and a crank 9 is securedto the opposite end thereof. The knife 8 is arranged so that its cuttingedge is eccentric to the axis of the shaft 5, said edge extending fromsaid axis somewhat in the form of a spiral. A balance-wheel 10 issecured to a vertical shaft 11, which is provided with a worm-gear 12 atits upper end. A gear 13, having obliquelyarranged teeth, is secured tothe shaft 5 and is arranged to mesh with the worm 12, so that thebalance-wheel 10 will be rotated when the shaft 5 is driven. Asmooth-surfaced rod 14 is reciprocably mounted in the frames 1 and 2,and one end of said rod is in a position to be engaged by the face of acam 15,which is secured to the shaft 5,adjacent the gear 13. A spring 16is arranged on the rod 14 between the frame 2 and a stop-Wire 17 in therod, so that said spring acts constantly to force said rod toward theface of the cam 15. A stop-cam 18 is secured to the frame 2 and SerialNo.106,823. (No model.)

is adapted to be adjusted so as to limit the distance which said rod maybe moved by its spring 16. A follower 19 is provided with arms 20, whichrest on the guide-rods 3, and said follower is provided with twoapertures in its upper end through which the shaft 5 and rod 14 pass, sothat said shaft may rotate freely therein and the follower slide freelyon both the shaft and rod, while they act as guides therefor. A dog 21is loosely secured to the follower 19 by means of a bolt 22, whichpasses through an aperture in the lower end thereof, the diameter ofsaid aperture being slightly greater than the diameter of the bolt, asshown in Figs. 4 and 5. A spring 23 is interposed between one side ofthe dog and the head of the bolt 22 and presses the opposite sidethereof against a shoulder 19 on the follower, the surface of which isdisposed obliquely to the central line of the rod 14, so that saidspring 23 will act to force the dog 21 into a corresponding positionwith respect to said rod. The dog is provided with an aperture 21 in itsupper end, through which the rod 14 passes, said aperture being ofslightlygreater diameter than said rod. Two arms or handles 24 aresecured to the dog, and a stop 25 is secured to the follower 19 in sucha position that the dog cannot be swung away from the follower to apoint which is beyond a vertical position with respect to rod 14.

Having described the construction of my machine, the operation may bedescribed as follows: The loaf of bread or other material which is to besliced is placed on the transverse rods 4, with one end against thefollower 19 and the opposite end projecting past the path of the knife8, the follower having previously been moved so as to permit the loaf tobe arranged in this position. 7 The shaft 5 is then rotated in thedirection of the arrow in Fig. 2, and as it rotates the knife revolvesand cuts off the end of the loaf which projects across its path. As theshaft 5 is rotated the cam 15 thereon is also rotated, so that its faceengages the end of the rod 14 and slides the same longitudinally towardthe knife and in the direction of the arrow in Fig. 4. As the spring 23normally forces the dog 21 into the oblique position shown in Fig. 4,the Walls of the aperture 21 therein will engage or bite the rod 14, sothat said rod cannot slide through said aperture when it is moved towardthe knife. The result will be that the dog will be moved with the rod14, which in turn will slide the follower 19 on the guide-rods 3 andshaft 5 toward the knife, moving the loaf of bread with it a distancecorresponding to the distance which the rod 14 is moved by the cam 15.The cam 15 is arranged in such a position that this movement will takeplace after the end of the knife has passed the loaf and moved to theposition shown in Figs. 2 and 3, so that the loaf will be moved forwardthe desired distance before the knife again swings into engagement withthe loaf. As soon as the highest part of the cam 15 passes the end ofthe rod 14 the spring 16 will force the rod back to its initial positionin the direction of the arrow in Fig. 5. This movement will cause thedog 21 to swing back with the rod until it engages the stop 25, and asthe movement of the dog to this position causes the same to release itshold on the rod the follower 19 will not be moved back with the rod 14,but will remain in the position to which it has previously beenadvanced. The rod 14 is moved away from the knife until the stop-wire 17engages the stop-cam 18, and then the spring 23 will force the dog backinto the position shown in Fig. 4 and the operation above described isrepeated.

The thickness of the slices to be out are determined by simply rotatingthe stop-cam 18, thus varying the distance which the rod 14 may be movedback from the position to which it is forced by the cam 15. Obviouslythe greaterthe distance which the rod 14 is moved the greater will bethe thickness of the slices which will be out. After the loaf has beencompletely sliced the follower is drawn back by the handles 24 to theposition desired, the pull on the handles throwing the dog back intoengagement with the stop 25 and out of locking engagement with rod 14and preventing the dog from interfering with the movement of thefollower.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is

1. A machine for the purpose described, comprising end frames, a rotarydriving-shaft mounted in said frames, a knife secured on said shaft, arod reciprocably mounted in said frames, means for reciprocating saidrod, a follower slidably mounted on said rotary driving-shaft, anautomatic clutch carried on said follower through which said rod passes,and means for causing said clutch to engage said rod to move saidfollower'therewith in one direction and allow said rod to pass throughit in the reverse direction, substantially as described.

2. A machine for the purpose described, comprising end frames, a rotarydriving-shaft mounted in said frames, a knife and a cam secured on saidshaft, a rod reciprocably mounted in said frames, said rod moved in onedirection by said cam, a spring for moving said rod in the reversedirection, a follower slidably mounted on said rotary driving-shaft, anautomatic clutch carried on said follower through which said rod passes,and means for causing said clutch to engage said rod to move saidfollower therewith in one direction and allow said rod to pass throughit in the reverse direction, substantially as described.

3. A machine for the purpose described, comprising end frames, a rotarydriving-shaft mounted in said frames, a knife secured on said shaft, arod reciprocably mounted in said frames, means for reciprocating saidrod, a follower slidably mounted on said rotary driving-shaft and havinga shoulder, a dog carried on said follower through which said rodpasses, a bolt secured to said follower and loosely supporting said dog,and a spring on said bolt for causing said dog to normally bear againstsaid shoulder in an oblique position with respect to said rod and engagethe same to move said follower therewith in one direction and allow saidrod to pass through it in the reverse direction, substantially asdescribed.

4. -A machine for the purpose described, comprising end frames, a rotarydriving-shaft mounted in said frames, a knife and acam secured on saidshaft, a rod reciprocably mounted in said frames, said rod moved in onedirection by said cam, a spring for moving said rod in the reversedirection, an adjustable stop for varying the distance which said rodmay be moved by said spring, a follower slidably mounted on said rotarydriving-shaft, an automatic clutch carried on said follower throughwhich said rod passes, and means for causing said clutch to engage saidrod to move said follower therewith in one direction and allow said rodto pass through itin the reverse direction, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in thepresence of two subscribing witnesses.

ARWID ANDERSON.

Witnesses:

LOUIS H. HARRIMAN, H. B. DAVIS.

